MQG Challenge Bookcase Runner

This summer's Modern Quilt Guild challenge was sponsored by Riley Blake Designs, who provided participants with five fabric cuts from their Cottage Garden collection in order to make something cool that is quilted, and try something new. I immediately liked these fabrics. The large flowers are very mandala-like, and I decided that I wasn't going to cut them up. They became the basis for my design.

The new-to-me element that I incorporated into this quilt was trapunto. Each flower has an extra layer of batting to make it stand out. I did it the really easy way - none of that messy water dissolving thread or cutting and stuffing from behind... I just used a thin Aurifil thread to attach batting, and then outlined the flowers again with that same thread when quilting. It worked great, check out that awesome puff!

Each strip block is slightly different. I even used the ribbon!

This is a bookcase runner, made for adding some much needed colour to the naked bookshelves in our library/guest room. It's just over 10 inches wide and 40 inches tall. In addition to the fabrics that arrived in my magic box, I used some of the coordinating Wintergreen to give the prints a little bit more room to breathe.

I had originally put this whole thing together without the blender fabric. It looked like this:

I found it too busy, and immediately set about taking it apart. After a little bit of shopping, it went back together and I was much happier with the result.

That little bit of extra fabric also gave me enough material to make a fun quilt back. I used the "Jelly Roll Race" method with 2.5" strips, and ended up with backing that I like almost as much as the front. Too bad no one will get to see this side while it's hanging up!